I've got some mixed feelings about the upcoming movie The Forbidden Kingdom. On one hand, from the trailers themselves it does look like it contains some really awesome gungfu cinematography, decent storyline and of course, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. On the other hand, I really can't stomach the fact that they are all speaking English in ancient China, and there's an American kid in the middle of it all who travelled back in time! Uh-huh... so much for originality...

I like Michael Angarano who plays that American kid. He's a talented young actor who makes very wise movie choices, from the family-oriented Sky High to independent films such as Lords of Dogtown and Man in the Chair which I am looking forward to. I even liked him way back in Seabiscuit. But everytime I see him appear in this trailer I always think of The Karate Kid, which, by the way, is not a good thing.

I like Jet Li as well, but I've been disappointed at the projects that he has been getting in Hollywood. Just look at Huo Yuan Jia and you realize how much of his talents have been wasted in America. I wonder if this American production can do any justice to his talents this time... Try as I may, this movie still has a hint of a B-grader to me...

Still, I think my biggest grouse is still the English-speaking part of the movie. As if it's not enough watching Jet Li and Jackie Chan sprout ancient Chinese wisdom in accented English, we even have a Chinese emperor, ancient kungfu experts and villians speaking perfect English. It's like wtaching Braveheart that's set in England but everyone speaks Mandarin... It's just... not right...



This clip below is quite funny actually. But again, Jet Li and Jackie Chan giving commands in English which really really work so much better in when Chinese...



Ok, to the benefit of the filmmakers, it is yet to be seen how well both Asian and Western audiences will take to it.

We'll see...